I DON'T OWN THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN OR STOKED.
-Parker-
It's been a few weeks since the whole shocker incident and things have been good, better than back in New York where everyone knew me as the bully's favorite target. The only thing is Bummer. He's being...Bummer. I was returning to the lobby for my next and hopefully last assignment of the day when I discovered what the universe decided to throw my way.
"Hey look, it's puny Parker." I heard a familiar voice say. That's what I get for thinking my luck was changing. I turned around to see Kenny "King" Kong in tourist garb, (been here for a month and I already see others as tourists. Weird.) behind the gargantuan football player was several of the other members of the football team and the cheerleader squad. I was relieved to see that neither Liz or Flash were with the group. After Flash got together with Sha Shan Nguyen, he stopped harassing people and Kong had became the leader of the bullies.
"Turns out no one cares about us messing with the employees." Kenny said as cracked his fingers and got closer. Spider-Man could dismantle these idiots or outrun an Olympic runner, but even if I wasn't forced here by the job, I couldn't do either without at least hinting to my spider-themed alter ego. Meaning the only choice I'm left with is to endure the fight. The football team closed in and I reflexively took a step back. Before the Neanderthals got any closer, Emma got between us.
"Why are you harassing Peter?" Emma asked, I could tell she was terrified from the way her legs were shaken.
"Emma, this isn't your fight. Get out of here." I told her, but she either didn't hear me or refused to acknowledge me
"You're hiding behind a girl here too?" Kenny asked me.
"He has more friends than just the Sheila." Reef said as he and the other groms approached. All of them taking a place by Emma.
"Aren't you Fin McCloud and Lauren Ridgemount? What are you two doing with a loser like Parker?!" Sally asked, clearly ready to go into another tirade about how the popular weren't supposed to socialize with the unpopular.
"I don't care what you think of him. We like him." Fin interrupted Sally's upcoming rant.
"Yeah. You're popularity in New York matters exactly nothing here. Parker is one of the sickest surfers and prankster I have ever met." Reef supplied.
"Puny Parker? Good at something?" Kong said. When none of the groms moved, Kong lost interest and said, "what a loser."
I recognized the murderous look that Fin had and quickly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thanks everyone. But I'm surprised you're here, Lo."
"Someone who's friends with Spider-Man can't be all bad." Lo said.
The night finished and we all were surfing in the office. After the run-in with the bullies, I needed some adrenaline, so I was disappointed when I found out that Emma still had a thing for Lo's brother and invited some tourist to the office. The guy was annoying and bumped the other surfers out of the line up. The main beach was ok, but it dulled in comparison to the office. And without any distractions the other surfers were stuck hanging around the living quarters, since Fin was the only one who knew the secret; I couldn't risk changing into the Spider-Man suit. That went on and I thought I could handle the stress but after four days I nodded off around 11 and the dream returned. I thought it was real until I got to the field. Despite that, I felt fear and anxiety as I saw the looks of fear that was stuck on the faces of everyone I got close to.
I could handle only going while the others were at work but then I discovered that Emma was being harassed for bringing in the guy. It only got worse when he brought a few friends. After Emma put her butt on the line for me, I decided that I couldn't just stand by anymore. Parker was also targeted for the pranks. The seniors had nothing on the bullies in New York. I was harassed for years and at least this time I wasn't stuffed in any lockers. But Emma wasn't used to the mistreatment and decided that instead of relying solely on Peter Parker, I broke out the Spider-Man suit and that night I was going to the office to get rid of the tourists. Upon arrival, I saw Emma running away from the office, with a tiki mask covering her body and her eyes were bright and wet.
"Seeing this, I'm starting to wish I came earlier." I said, using a web line to descend upside-down from the trees.
"Spider-Man? I thought Peter said you didn't get involved unless a crime was committed." She responded. I nearly forgot that when the thing first started, she asked me to ask for Spider-Man's help and that was the reason I gave since I couldn't tell her that I didn't because it would go against some of Uncle Ben's final words; "with great power, comes great responsibility". Those words still resound loudly through my head.
"Cutting someone off is illegal in cars. So why not in surfing as well." I said, "just hide and enjoy the show."
I climbed back up the web and leapt from tree to tree, until finally I got to a spot that I could achieve the idea that had formed in my head.
-No perspective-
Shep and his friends were at the center of the office. Laughing at that redhead's epic fail at trying to scare them off. The fire the three were surrounding was getting low. Shep sent his friend, Alex, to get more firewood. The fire was slowly getting lower and the two friends were getting annoyed by how long it was taking to get their mutual friend to get the fire wood. The fire was dying and with it the light. A scream rang through the night sky. The two friends agreed it was just that Emma girl trying to scare them off and went to the place they had assumed the scream originated. And other than a pile of sticks that were obviously collected from somewhere else, there was no sign of their friend and the duo were readying to separate to search, when Mike noticed a muffled sound. The pair looked up and saw a cocoon hanging from the tree and shaking wildly.
"Alex, that you?" Shep asked, using as much will he could to prevent either of his friends from hearing the way his voice shook. The form mumbled more and shook with renewed vigor. Shep picked up a stick and used it to cut open the bottom of the cocoon and reveal his friend. The leader of the group began pulling himself up to the top of the tree when he heard Mike tell how something bit him. Shep had managed to turn around in time to see his remaining friend be pulled into the darkness. "No way that Sheila can pull off this." Thought the teen as he dropped from the tree and started running. As he did, rattling came from over his head and he realized something was after him. That realization made Shep run faster than he had ever ran, but the thing in the trees would quickly close the difference between them. He knew that he couldn't run for much longer and hoped for a break. He got his answer as the trees thinned and the teen saw civilization. "I'm never coming back here again!" He yelled as he left the forest then got into the car he rented and floored it to the nearest airport.
"That was what I was hoping for." Spider-Man thought before releasing the other two, who managed to duplicate their friend's movements. Spider-Man swung to Emma and nearly made her jump out of her skin as he landed in front of her.
"You don't need to worry about those guys anymore. And just out of curiosity, are you sure the first guy wasn't apart of cross country? Bro could run." Spider-man said
After getting out of all that trouble, Emma couldn't help but laugh. "He may have been annoying but he was a surfer. Thanks." Emma replied.
"What're friends for. Just don't mention this to the others or they'll be expecting me to do things like that all the time."
"Of course." Emma said, much more relaxed with knowledge the pranks were over with. Emma saw the masked hero swing in the opposite direction and as she saw Spider-Man disappear in the trees, walked to her room with a newfound spring in her step be an urge to whistle a tune as she walked. "What the heck." Emma thought as she pursed her lips and let the musical notes come. After clearing her bed of the fish heads, courtesy of the seniors, Emma went to sleep. Unknown to her, the masked hero had navigated his way through the forest and had quietly returned to the spider lair. Spider-Man removed his mask to reveal Peter Parker.
-Parker-
I knew I couldn't return to the employee house so soon or I'd risk another person discovering my REAL connection to Spider-Man. The longer I have to lie to them, the more I want to trust them with my secret. It's true that I had to hide my secret from Aunt May when I still lived in New York, but at least there I was able to hide and change behind locked doors to help keep the secret.
"Come on Parker; Bummer would probably kill you if you end up sleeping in someone's salad." I reasoned with myself. I got on the bed and tried to sleep. Every trick I could think of flew through my mind. Each one proved remarkably ineffective. Looking through the windows peeking outside, I saw the ocean was flat. "Fantastic." I said. There was only one more technique I hadn't tried. I was at the base of the bottom entrance to the attic when I heard a voice say, "couldn't sleep either?" Fin asked.
"Nah, was about to go on a little joyride." I replied.
"Feel like having company?" Fin asked in a tone that I knew translated to: "I'm coming. Do you really want to start a war before it happens?" Even though I knew that I could handle whatever Fin threw at me, it would be annoying. And truth be told, I wouldn't mind having her that close— I mean she would probably keep me grounded enough to not lose track of time and spend all night in the air.
"Just let me get into my costume." I said. After quickly changing into the hero half of me, I met Fin in the shadows. "Ready,milady?" I joked, signaling her to get on.
"Born ready, noble spider." She responded. She got into the same position and after creating her harness, I began jumping through the trees. Time blurred and we were soon in town. I did want to tire myself so I could get some sleep, but with a passenger on my back; I couldn't help but show off. I was swinging through the taller buildings and was feeling the effects as I stifled yet another yawn.
"Your already tired, ya kook?" Fin joked as she let loose a yawn of her own. I was about to banter back when I heard a voice that sent chills down my spine.
"Yeah you tired, bro?" Eddie said, wearing the symbiont.
I tore off the harness and charged at him. "Fin, Run!" I yelled. I jumped at venom and threw a punch. The punch just forced Brock's head to the side. I tried following up with several crosses, but was soon locked in a mega bear-hug. The half-alien pair laughed and said "you should know it takes more than that to hurt us." Brock was crushing my spine and I was forced to curl with the large amount of force going through my back. Fin was still in my sight and I realized the issue. Without me, she was stuck up here. I brought my hand up and shot a web into Brock's face. He dropped me to remove it and while he was preoccupied, I picked up Fin and jumped off the roof. We were closing in on the ground when I felt a jerk and realized Brock was taking us to a different building. We all landed and if past experiences were any indication, I already knew I couldn't beat Brock. But maybe I could get him to have mercy. He was already running at me with one claw scratching the ground.
"Come on Eddie, I don't care what you do to me. Just spare Fin." I pleaded after I saw him briefly turn his attention to the surfer.
"I guess we could." Brock said. I felt better until I saw him shoot his arm at Fin.
"No!" I yelled as I jumped at her and the symbiont literally growing on her. Before I got to her, however; Brock webbed my feet and slammed me into the ground.
"We don't think so, Bro. Let's see what happens when your new friends join us to destroy you." The Fin/symbiont screeched and Brock eased off me. Fin came closer. My arms were pinned to the ground and all I could do was push against the ground. The strength Venom had used to pin me had left me vulnerable.
"No! Fin!" I yelled. I jumped up and found myself back in the living quarters. "Calm down, Parker. It was just a nightmare." I said trying to calm my heart rate. I looked at the alarm clock by my bed. It was almost noon and realized I'd have to deal with Bummer. I already knew that today was going to be a LONG day.
-Finish-